1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for controlling a semiconductor processing apparatus, and more particularly, to a method for controlling a batch-type semiconductor processing apparatus.
This application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 2005-47712, filed on Jun. 3, 2005, the subject matter of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
2. Description of the Related Art
Batch-type and plate-type semiconductor processing apparatuses may each be used to perform a semiconductor fabrication process. Batch-type semiconductor processing apparatuses are used for processing semiconductors by the lot, and plate-type semiconductor processing apparatuses are used for processing semiconductors by the wafer.
Use of a batch-type semiconductor processing apparatus in a semiconductor fabrication process may result in more process-related faults relative to the use of an analogous plate-type semiconductor processing apparatus. However, a batch-type semiconductor processing apparatus has a relatively higher throughput than a plate-type semiconductor processing apparatus.
Many solutions have been proposed to the problem of excessive process-related faults caused by the use of batch-type semiconductor processing apparatuses. In one conventional solution, where data received from a host computer is not correlated to a data set for a target lot, a related control method may be used to halt operation of the semiconductor processing apparatus. Thereafter, wafers may be unloaded from the lot being processed by the semiconductor processing apparatus, thereby preventing potential process-related faults from occurring. In contrast, where the received data is correlated to the data set for the target lot, the subject semiconductor fabrication process may be performed in accordance with the received data.
This conventional solution is, however, not without its drawbacks. For example, the control method may not adequately check whether the received data is practicable for the semiconductor processing apparatus. That is, the received data may fall within allowable specification ranges, yet may not correspond to a fabrication recipe practically suited to the target semiconductor processing apparatus.
A semiconductor processing apparatus may store recipes used to perform many semiconductor fabrication processes. The recipes stored in a semiconductor processing apparatus will be referred to as a recipe group. If a recipe received from a host computer is not contained in the recipe group of the target semiconductor processing apparatus, the recipe may not lead to a successful semiconductor fabrication process.
Even where a semiconductor fabrication process starts according to appropriate data, the data may be altered by an operator or by errant communication factors during the semiconductor fabrication process. The conventional method has no way of verifying whether the altered data is valid. The conventional method may also lack the ability to check whether current data generated in relation to the semiconductor processing apparatus is properly correlated to set data. Any one of these failures may result in process-related faults.
Further, the conventional method may not properly consider the quantity of wafers actually in a lot being processed. As a result, once wafers are loaded into a semiconductor processing apparatus, it is possible that some portion of the wafers may thereafter be unloaded from the semiconductor processing apparatus without having undergone the fabrication process. It is also possible that a semiconductor fabrication process may proceed without the wafers actually having been loaded into the semiconductor processing apparatus. For example, if the semiconductor processing apparatus incorrectly reads the quantity of wafers in a lot, a semiconductor fabrication process may be performed in relation to an incorrectly identified quantity of wafers, thereby resulting in process-related faults.